


Campfire Songs

by addievader



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Everyone Is Alive, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Singing, Soft Boys, Song Lyrics, Song: Bring It on Home to Me, Song: Drift Away, Song: E Ipo, Song: Easy, Song: I Can't Help Falling in Love with You, Song: I Just Called to Say I Love You, Song: It's Not Unusual, Song: Let It Be, Song: Midnight Special, Song: Wonderful World, brothers being brothers, song: can't take my eyes off you, the clones can sing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28766388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addievader/pseuds/addievader
Summary: The clones of Torrent and Ghost Company gather around the fire after a long, grueling battle. They don't know how long it will be until the next one starts. But for now, they will enjoy each other's company in peace, that is until someone starts singing. Then it becomes about so much more. Also, no one knows how they got instruments in the middle of a battlefield, but no one is complaining.
Relationships: Boil & Waxer & Wooley (Star Wars), Boil & Waxer (Star Wars), CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives & CT-5385 | Tup, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives & CT-5385 | Tup, CT-5597 | Jesse & CT-6116 | Kix, Hardcase & CT-5597 | Jesse & CT-6116 | Kix
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Campfire Songs

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!  
> This is my first try at a longer fic, after getting inspo from Temuera Morrison's album. Speaking of, I created a playlist on spotify that has all these songs in order so you can listen to them:  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4G7zXYw8SabWOmnvoP4YeU?si=i2PWhCLaR5mZak_r83ab4A
> 
> Also, one of the songs, E Ipo, I state in the fic that it is in Mando'a. It is actually a New Zealand love song in Maori. The lyrics are written out in both Maori and English, in parentheses. If this insinuation offends anyone, please let me know and I will change it!!

It's one of the rare moments all the clones can let their guard down. There is no perceivable threat, so their Jedi let them have some down time together while they kept watch and the men could gather around the fire. Fives, Echo, and Tup are sitting together talking and laughing quietly among themselves. Wooley, Waxer, and Boil are cleaning their guns across the fire from them. Jesse and Kix are doting on Hardcase on another side. The final side is left empty, awaiting the leaders of the companies to join the group.  
  
Each group is engulphed in their own conversations when a bought of snickering from the Domino Twins catches everyone’s attention. The duo smiles innocently and waits for everyone to go back to their own business. Then Fives, ever the troublemaker, clears his throat and begins… _singing_.

_Day after day I'm more confused_

The soldiers chuckle at Fives antics. But as he keeps going, he looks at the others expectantly.

_Yet I look for the light through the pouring rain_

The other men are unsure at first. They are still on a battel field. What would their CO’s say? What would the Jetii say? Yet Fives continued, growing louder as he went.

_You know that's a game that I hate to lose_

_I'm feelin' the strain, ain't it a shame_

The other clones realize they have nothing to lose. If they are told to stop, they will. But for now, there is no threat, and they are supposed to be relaxing together. They all exchange a look and join Fives in the chorus.

_Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul_

_I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away_

_Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul_

_I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away_

The clones continue on, Fives taking the verses and all of them joining in for the chorus. As they continue, they all get more into it when they realize no one is going to stop them. They relish in each other’s presence and the joy a simple song can bring. As the song ends, the soldiers give Fives a polite clap then return to their conversation. However, this isn’t the outcome Fives wanted. So, after a reassuring look from Echo and Tup, he starts again.

_Well, you wake up in the mornin', you hear the work bell ring_

Once again, the other soldiers laugh, and they know Fives won’t be giving up.

_And they march you to the table, to see the same old thing_

_Ain't no food upon the table, and no pork up in the pan_

_But you better not complain, boy, you get in trouble with the man_

So, when the time comes, they are all ready and happy to indulge in their brother’s antics.

_Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me_

_Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me_

_Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me_

_Let the Midnight Special shine a ever lovin' light on me_

The men repeat the same structure. Fives takes lead and the rest back him up, bounce, and sway along with the song. Fives uses the last line to show off to his vod as dramatically as possible. The men cheer as Fives bows gracefully then points to Tup knowing his vod'ika would follow his lead. Tup smirks knowing his brothers would get a kick out of his song.

_Don't know much about history,_

The soldiers laugh loudly at this, clapping, whooping, and causing a ruckus at the expense of their brother.

_Don't know much biology._

It’s exactly the reaction Tup was hoping for and it continues through the verse.

_Don't know much about a science book,_

_Don't know much about the French I took._

Tup turns to Fives and takes one of his hands while looking deep in his eyes.

_But I do know that I love you,_

Fives, immediately realizing what his vod’ika is doing pulls out all his acting skill to entertain his brothers. He places his other hand over his heart and looks back at Tup with all the heart eyes he can muster.

_And I know that if you love me, too,_

_What a wonderful world this would be._

The men jeer at the boys, in the loving way only brothers that have been through hell together can do but join in as back up all the same. Throughout the song the soldiers find great joy at Tup’s schooling challenges that would disappoint the long-necks and his attempted love confessions toward his older brother, which Fives happily played into (he would do anything to hear his vod laugh, and if it’s at his own expense, well it doesn’t faze him anymore).

By the time they reach the end of the song, Fives in practically in Tup’s lap, as they both hold back their laughter. Echo next to them is blushing at his batchmates actions, shaking his head as he realizes how much Fives has rubbed off on Tup in a short time. Tup finishes the song and can finally laugh with his ori’vod. They separate and look expectantly at the other soldiers, waiting and hoping for someone to start next. What they weren’t expecting was Wooley to clear his throat and begin singing.

_If you ever change your mind_

_About leaving, leaving me behind_

Even the other members of Ghost Company, Waxer and Boil, seemed surprised to hear their vod join in.

_Oh, bring it to me_

_Bring your sweet loving_

_Bring it on home to me_

The men realized that they were all smiling at Wooley and couldn’t help but enthusiastically join in.

_Yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah)_

All the soldiers got more into the song than they expected. Wooley’s words dripping with emotion as he sang, they could tell this was not his first time singing it, though it may have been his first time in front of others based on how he kept his gaze focused on the blazing fire in front of him. They all took the time to be introspective and enjoy the song and their vod’s unexpected openness.

After the end of the song, there was a moment where they let the emotion hang in the air. Then suddenly, Jesse jumps up and turns to Kix.

_It's not unusual to be loved by anyone_

Immediately, the other men jeer as Kix blushes and smiles up at Jesse as he takes his riduur’s hand.

_It's not unusual to have fun with anyone_

Jesse attempts to dance with a sitting Kix and coax him up, but he refuses so Jesse sits back down next to Kix and continues.

_But when I see you hanging about with anyone_

_It's not unusual to see me cry_

_I wanna' die_

Jesse attempts to over-act Fives’ previous display much to his dismay. This just causes Kix’s blush to spread to the tips of his lightning bolts as Hardcase makes sure that Kix can’t escape Jesse’s displays. Jesse proceeds through the song just trying to get his cyare to join in the fun and Kix laughs at his playfulness and lets him have fun. Kix rewards Jesse’s efforts by placing a kiss in the center of Jesse’s tattoo at the end of the song. This causes the rest of the men to heckle the medic and lieutenant even more. Jesse turns to Hardcase to thank him for the help when he sees an evil smirk plastered on the clone’s face. Hardcase looks Jesse dead in the eyes and begins.

_You're just too good to be true_

There’s a combination of both cheering and scolding from the group as they all know what’s coming.

_Can't take my eyes off of you_

_You'd feel like Heaven to touch_

_I wanna hold you so much_

Hardcase, in typical Hardcase fashion, really gets into the song. He stands and walks around taking a moment with each present clone to sing directly to them in the most exuberant way he can.

_At long last, love has arrived_

_And I thank God I'm alive_

_You're just too good to be true_

_Can't take my eyes off of you_

From the empty side of the fire, Hardcase take a deep breath, then whips around toward the rest of the group so he can sing at the top of his lungs.

_I love you, baby_

_And if it's quite alright_

_I need you, baby_

_To warm those lonely nights_

_I love you, baby_

The soldiers were sure that if there were any clankers scouting, they definitely would have found them by now. When Hardcase reaches the end of the song, he’s back to Jesse and Kix, and he dramatically falls backwards into their laps before they shove him up laughing.  
  
As Hardcase takes his bows Cody and Rex, finally finished with their briefings, join the group while clapping and smiling at their vod’ika. Hardcase smiles, obviously very proud of himself then sits back down next to Kix. The clones then all look at their commander and captain expectantly. Rex immediately shakes his head, always shy when it comes to singing. After a moment, Cody sighs and nods his head knowing exactly what they want.

_Ki a koe te tau (To you, my darling)_

_āku mihi e. (my greetings.)_

The men immediately fall silent, and it seems all the wildlife and even the crackling fire are drawn to silence by Cody’s commanding voice singing in Mando’a. While this is a song all the men are well practiced in, having had it sung to them on Kamino and eventually been singing it themselves, it is always led by a commanding officer.

_Ahakoa haere koe ki hea (No matter where you go)_

The brothers all fall easily into the familiar song and join in with no thought as they sing the comforting words.

_maku rā koe e whai atu e. (I will follow close behind.)_

_Ko taku aroha (My love)_

_ka ū tonu. (will remain firm.)_

Through the song, they all share looks that express everything they could ever need to. They are in this war together and will forever fight side by side, not as clones blindly following orders, but as brothers protecting their own.

Cody finishes the song, and they all take a moment to reflect on how far they’ve come since they were cadets on Kamino. Waxer and Boil then share a look and decide its time for their moment.

_No New Year’s Day to celebrate_

_No chocolate-covered candy hearts to give away_

Waxer takes the lead as Boil provides harmonies with the troops back up.

_No first of spring_

_No song to sing_

_In fact, it's just another ordinary day_

Waxer and Boil sway in unison as they continue through the song. Longing for their ordinary day to come one day, when the war is over. When there are no more coms constantly going off with more information about battles and the status of their brothers.

_I just called to say I love you_

_I just called to say how much I care_

_I just called to say I love you_

_And I mean it from the bottom of my heart_

Waxer and Boil finish the song together as they encase Wooley in a hug between them and Torrent Company coo’s as they watch until they all break out in a fit of laughter. Fives then turns to his batchmate and elbows him in the ribs, encouraging Echo to finally take his turn. Fives knows that Echo can be shy but has a soothing voice that few are blessed enough to hear. Fives grabs his hands and rubs circles on the back in an attempt to comfort Echo. They lock eyes and Fives nods, telling Echo that it’s okay. The ARC trooper takes a deep breath and begins to serenade the group. 

_Know it sounds funny_

_But I just can't stand the pain_

_Girl I'm leaving here tomorrow_

Echo looks away from Fives’ eyes and stares into the fire as he continues.

_Seems to me girl_

_You know I've done all I can_

_You see I begged, stole_

_And I borrowed_

The men unconsciously sway in their groups as they listen to Echo’s smooth voice easily work its way though the song as they all joined in.

_Ooh, that's why I'm easy_

_I'm easy like Sunday morning_

_That's why I'm easy_

_I'm easy like Sunday morning_

As the song comes to a close, Echo turns back to his batchmate, who is still holding his hands and smiles thankfully. Everyone can see that the last members of the Domino Squad are having one of their silent conversations that only fellow batchmates could understand, and they all fall back into a comfortable silence thinking of their own squads.

At first, it's imperceivably quiet. Anyone except a trained trooper would have missed it. The men all looked over to Rex, who was looking down at his blaster he was cleaning and had a comforting hand on his shoulder, courtesy of Cody. And oh, so quietly he had started singing.

_Wise men say_

_Only fools rush in_

_But I can't help falling in love with you_

Each line he grew some in volume. And as the others joined him, he finally looked up and didn't hold back.

_Shall I stay?_

_Would it be a sin_

_If I can't help falling in love with you?_

As he sang, Rex took a moment to lock eyes with each trooper around him. He had led them through many battles and always tried to do what was best for his vod. He hoped to covey all the love he could through his eyes to each of them. As Rex quieted and the song ended, they all sat for a moment as the last notes hung in the air.

Then they looked at the last trooper to have his moment, the one that had been mostly silent the whole night, Kix. He had his head resting on Jesse's shoulder and Jesse reached over to take Kix's hand knowing what was on the medic’s mind. Finally, after a deep breath Kix began, a song for all their fallen brothers and those left behind.

_When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me_

_Speaking words of wisdom, let it be_

_And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me_

_Speaking words of wisdom, let it be_

For once the other men didn’t join in. They had all been in the med bay, they knew this was Kix’s song. He didn’t need any backup; this was a moment for reflection and thought.

After Kix finished, Jesse led his brothers in the daily Mando’a remembrance, “Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum.” They went around and took turns saying the names of their brothers that had marched on until they couldn’t go on any further. By now the fire between them all was just coals and even the Jedi had fallen asleep at their posts, lulled by the lack of action and their clones soothing voices.

Slowly, they headed to their shared tents. First was Waxer, Boil, and Wooley, who stood in sync and headed to their Ghost Company tent. Next, Echo stood and grabbed Fives’ hand, who also stood and grabbed Tup’s hand so they could head to their tent together. After a moment, Jesse lifted his medic’s head from his shoulder and stood them up, knowing he needed to get Kix to sleep before he slept on the hard ground. Kix allowed Jesse to support him on the way to the tent pausing only to turn around and beckon Hardcase to join them, which he happily did.

Cody and Rex sat for a moment longer just enjoying the peace and quiet that’s so very rare in war. Then they shared a look and finally go to gather their generals to ensure they go to sleep properly before also heading off to their personal tents.

That night the men of Torrent and Ghost Company, including their Jetiise, slept peacefully for perhaps the first time since the start of the war.

**Author's Note:**

> Mando’a Translations:  
> jetii/jetiise: Jedi/Jedi plural  
> vod: brother, comrade, mate  
> vod'ika: little brother, younger brother  
> ori'vod: big brother, older brother  
> riduur: partner, spouse, husband  
> cyare: beloved, loved  
> Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum: Daily remembrance of those passed on "I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal." Followed by repetition of loved ones' names.  
> ________________________________________________________  
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! I might make separate, longer fics to expand on each song in the coming months, we'll see when I have free time! Feel free to leave any thoughts, suggestions, or criticisms, thanks in advance!


End file.
